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This has been a busy month for the Mustang Squadron. Since Christmas, the squadron has liberated an area of about 18 square miles. Much of this area hadn't seen coalition presence in years. The people of the area are already resettling and are beginning to defend their hometowns. We have had the good fortune of some very favorable press exposure, as you might have seen.
Angry Troop has continued to build it's patrol base and work to stabilize the city of Hawr Rajab. This town has grown dramatically in our time here. People move freely, kids go to school, business is booming, and the residents are happy. Electricity has recently returned, water is in the canals for the farmer to tend the fields, and we are working on the girls school and medical clinic buildings. These will be done soon. There have also been shipments of Propane for cooking and Kerosene for heating recently. Angry Troop now concentrates on improving the chicken industry there. The platoons of the troop have also spent time in Zambraniyah with Courage Troop on a rotating basis. They have done wonderfully there. Many troopers were awarded the Combat Action Badge by BG Cardon on a visit today. On Saturday, there will be a delegation of 6 U.S. Senators as well.
Bushmaster Troop is living at Patrol Base Dolby. Conditions there have improved dramatically. The base now has power, internet, bunks, and a protective perimeter. The town they live in, Adwaniyah, also continues to make great strides. Businesses are open, the kids have returned to school, and people move about. We are working on the schools, medical clinic, and roads to improve quality of life. Electrical service has also returned for most of the day. Adwaniyah also has a strong chicken industry that we are working to make better. The other day there was a visit by some NFL Cheerleaders and players to Patrol Base Dolby. Bushmaster also hosted the Commanding General recently.
Courage Troop, with rotating platoons from Angry and Bushmaster, lives at Patrol Base 2 in the heart of the area recently liberated. Living here is much sparser. Troopers' bunks are in MILVANs. We have now gotten heat and power to most of them. There are no showers out there, so platoons rotate back to FOB FALCON with more regularity than the other troops. Like the other troops, some exercise equipment is out there now as is AFN TV service (in time for the Super Bowl). Courage is working hard to stand up the organization of men that are guarding the newly liberated areas. They are doing great at the very front.
Dawg Battery is working in a town called Khamisia and East Sekreetchet and bases out of FALCON with short stays at Patrol Base Dolby, where Bushmaster lives. They are also working with the organization of men to defend their town. They are a great part of the squadron and do much more than you would imagine for a unit of it's size.
Mad Dawg, as always, has met every mission keeping us supplied all over the battlefield. The line team mechanics are, of course, living with their troops in all the patrol bases. Distro platoon welcomed a new platoon leader this month as well. Mad Dawg has driven an incredible amount of miles all over the place from BIAP to the outer reaches of our area.
Dark Horse has been working in many different directions, of course. The medics were manning an aid station at Patrol Base 2, where Courage Troop is, for quite a while. There they treated all kinds of local nationals and the odd trooper here and there. The Command Mobility Detachment has been busy getting the CSM and I to the places we've needed to go as well as the explosives experts when they need to take care of explosives found in the area.
This month we also drew the first MRAP vehicles. We have 18 of them now with more on the way. The 18 are spread across Angry, Bushmaster, Courage, Dawg, and Mad Dawg. Dark Horse does not have any yet (yes, that includes me).
You may have also heard a rumor about the squadron leaving FOB FALCON. There most certainly will be movement of units around the battlespace tied to the redeployment of 2nd Brigade in July. We will expand our area of responsibility to include the area currently worked by 1-30 Infantry. In so doing, we will have to move forces into areas that 1-30 is in now. When that happens, FOB FALCON may or may not be the best place for the squadron to have a base. We may very well locate the rest, or almost the rest, of the squadron on patrol bases in the area. I am working on this now with the brigade and division leadership. There are a lot of things that effect where we move to and who moves. This is all tied to the redeployment of 2nd Brigade. So, we are not moving the rest of the squadron off of FALCON tomorrow. We are already doing things to have troopers in Angry and Bushmaster look at their patrol bases as their homes and FALCON as a place they visit. This will become more complete in June as we become more spread out and become responsible for more area. More to follow on this as it develops.
As you probably know, we have had a few wounded troopers this month. We are seeing to all of their needs as they recuperate and recover. We are in contact with them at least weekly. The CSM and I have personally visited almost all of them at the Combat Support Hospital in Baghdad before they leave the theater. We do this to check on them, how they are doing, to present their Purple Heart, and to personally wish them well as they leave. We follow each case daily.
Others have already or will shortly cover the arrangements for the Tree Dedication this month in honor of SPC Joshua Anderson, a medic from HHT who was attached to Bushmaster troop. We lost SPC Anderson in Zambraniyah when his HMMWV struck an IED. I have spoken to his family and they are in good hands. I urge you to come out to the tree dedication and the social tied to it to express your support through your presence, if not in words.
LTC Mark W. Solomon
Commander
6th Squadron, 8th U.S. Cavalry
SVOIP: 671-1406
DSN: 318-855-3206
